China launches civilian technology satellites

The Long March 2C carrier rocket carrying two satellites blasts off from the launch pad at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, Oct. 14, 2012. Satellite A and Satellite B, which form Shijian (practice)-9 satellites, successfully entered preset orbits on Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

The satellites, launched from the center in north China's Shanxi Province, were boosted by a Long March-2C carrier rocket and sent into a predetermined orbit.

The Practice-9 A and B are the first in a series of civilian satellites designed for technological experimentation.

Developed by an affiliate company of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the satellites will be used to experiment with domestically developed components, satellite formations and inter-satellite measurement, the center said.